Bravo has revealed the identities of the 16 "chef'testants" who will be competing on Top Chef's twelfth season, which will premiere on Wednesday, October 15 at 10PM ET/PT.

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Hosted once again by Padma Lakshmi, Top Chef's twelfth edition will take place in New England and feature chef'testants battling it out to prove their culinary skills. Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Hugh Acheson will return as judges, while guest judges will include Boston-based chefs and celebrities.

For the first time ever, a former Top Chef winner will also make his debut and offer the chef'testants guidance by serving as a recurring judge. That person will be Richard Blais, who finished the fourth season as the runner-up and wonTop Chef: All-Stars.

During the next season of Top Chef, the competitors will undergo challenges at iconic Boston locales such as Fenway Park, Plimoth Plantation, and The Bull and Finch Pub.

Top Chef's twelfth season will feature many firsts including a meal served on the field underneath the Green Monster, a challenge using only ingredients that would've been on hand at the first Thanksgiving meal, a food festival, a fan-appreciation challenge that will enable fans to dine inside the Top Chef kitchen, and a task highlighting Boston's police and fire departments.

"Sudden death quickfire challenges" will also occur at random throughout the season, putting every chef'testant on the spot.